Jan 16, 2019 5 min read

Retailers across the country look forward to sales at Christmas to boost annual revenue by a hefty amount. The same holds true for businesses in Greene County.

Before the Artbeat Gallery on High Street closed last January, co-owner Jim Winegar said about 70 to 75 percent of the gallery’s annual sales took place at Christmas. As a member of the Merchants Guild, Artbeat played a significant role in attracting people to town for shopping.

At 78 E. High St., 5 Kidz Kandy normally finds the Christmas season a financial boon with its stock of chocolates and gift line of toys. This year, however, owner Kristy Vliet said sales were way below average.

“2018 has been the worst Christmas season we’ve experienced since we’ve opened four and a half years ago,” she said. “In fact the entire year has been our worse. Typically, we experience a drop in sales in August but things usually pick up in September. But not this year.”

Vliet said any time a business closes or moves out of town, it influences the remaining businesses. Last year, a lot more Waynesburg businesses were open during the Christmas gift-buying season. This year, five shops and restaurants like Artbeat, Four Horsemen Comics and Gaming, B&B Jewelry, Coaches Cafe and Hot Rodz, are no longer open for business. With fewer places to shop, people aren’t as likely to frequent the downtown area to do their gift shopping.

“I’ve been toying with the idea of either closing or relocating at the end of February,” Vliet said. “Even our lunch business isn’t doing much anymore.”

Someone who fared very well during the holidays, Jennifer Adamson of Pa Mug Co. has been at the store and studio location at 352 S. Richhill St. in Waynesburg for two years. Just after Thanksgiving she opened the doors to her gallery for the Christmas season and remained open till Christmas Eve.

“I did very well and sold out my entire inventory,” Adamson said. “We even featured the work of seven artists in the gallery and scheduled a paint your own ornament every day we were open – Thursday through Sunday. Over 300 people came in to paint the ceramic ornaments we made. It was a very good holiday season for us.”

In May, Adamson is planning to open a bistro in her gallery that will feature oven baked flatbreads, soups, salads, sandwiches and baked goods.

One of Waynesburg’s two antique stores, Fischer’s Antique and Craft Mall, has been open for seven years at 26 Church St. Owner Tammy Fischer said that, although Christmas has usually been decent as far as sales go, she’s done only about half as well this year.

“It’s been very slow for us,” she said. “Artbeat used to get more people to visit the downtown so its loss doesn’t help. Over the years, I’ve seen several businesses, coffee shops and retail boutiques come and go. The real challenge is to keep businesses in the downtown area.”

To draw people off High Street and into her store around the corner, she’s placed a banner on the street and put displays in the windows of a vacant store she owns at 62 E. High St. Despite her efforts, she said, sales have been disappointing.

At Slingin’ Ink Tattoos and Body Piercing, Clay Smith said there is typically a slowdown in business over the holidays.

“Summer is our busiest time of year,” he said. “Things pretty much shut down just before Thanksgiving when we maybe get one customer a day. But things pick up again after the New Year when we start getting three or more each day.”

Over near Jefferson, Thistlethwaite Vineyards reports hefty sales of wine during the holidays. One of the things that helped boost sales was the series of 10 Christmas parties held in the Cellar Room, which holds up to 85, and the smaller Vine Room, which holds 35 for events like showers and family get togethers.

“We had a great holiday season,” said Deneen Rhodes, tasting room manager. “While I don’t have the exact figures, we were kept on our toes from before Thanksgiving on.”

The Christmas season officially kicked off the Sunday after Thanksgiving with the winery’s annual vendor show, which features the work of local crafters and artisans.

“It’s one of our best days of the year,” Rhodes said.

For the holiday, Thistlethwaite featured Very Berry Good, a sweet red bottled blend of grapes they package in a silver bag. They also brought out 25 cases of their reserve Chambourcin, a dry red wine.

“More people seem to be buying local,” Rhodes said. “That’s something we appreciate, whether it’s just a bottle or an entire case.”

For Lauren Stauffer, owner of Ruff Creek Antiques, Christmas has been a success, but for a special reason. At the end of January, Stauffer is retiring and closing up shop. Since October, she’s been selling off her inventory at a discount of 50 percent off and more.

“My shop has been open for six years now and it’s get it gone time for me,” she said. “Over the years, the Christmas season has been big time at the shop with more than two-thirds of my annual sales taking place. This year, people bought a lot, thanks to the sale.”

Any items Stauffer may have left at the end of January she plans to sell either online or at the county fairgrounds this summer.

“I want to thank the community for their support over the years,” she said. “The shop has been a dream of mine and now I’ve fulfilled it. Running it has been a lot of fun and I’m now starting a new chapter in my life.”